Ravings of a County Employee
I am writing today with a heavy heart. No, an irritated, incensed, massively aggravated and sad heart. The principal of the public school I work for (and have sent my children for the past seven years) has notified us of her resignation. This is the woman who has worked tirelessly for twelve years. The individual who brokered a performing arts fellowship program with Ruth Eckard Hall that brings in artists, musicians, and all types of performers to enrich our students and aid in learning. She is the individual who got us our grant to become an arts immersion school, unheard of for a non-charter publicly funded school. This is not a hoity-toity north county school with high millage and deep-pocketed parents. This is a school where 60% of the kids are minority and of that percentage 40% are still learning English. We are a Title 1 school, which means that more than half of our students receive free or reduced lunches. Despite these difficult circumstances we are consistently rated A+ in the district. Teachers are happy to be here. Children are happy and motivated to learn. But somehow district and area superintendents can't seem to leave a good thing alone. They make comparisons. They take potshots. Apparently happy people are a cause for concern.
Being that my mother does NOT read this blog, I'm saying the word "fart" - outside of the context in which bar soap was involved - and I'm even bolding it! That's how mad I am that I would compromise my vocabulary.
It seems that in academia the whole concept of fusing the arts with basic curriculum is a pipe dream for the bubbled headed artsy fart. What a farce! A dream! "How could you paaaaossibly teach reading or writing or (gulp) math with silly sooooongs!" But multiple studies by entities such as New Horizons for Learning, the NEA, University of Washington stress the importance of arts integration for education. One article by Eric Oddleifson, a founding member of the Center for Arts in the Basic Curriculum (CABC), site a study that included fifty failing elementary schools and documented their improvements with fine arts implementation in a basic curriculum. Results listed incredible results with soaring test scores, grade level and higher reading scores (this from a school with 98% minority rate), and waiting lists in the hundreds.
Our principle was asked to write a report on why she should keep her job. She didn't write it. I wish she would but I respect her stance. The fact that a school two miles from us with an identical minority ratio is earning a D+ rating in the district should be explanation enough.
Alright...I'll Make a Notes-Worthy Application
Have you ever heard this?: "And now we come to the most IMPORTANT part of the service." I've heard of churches recently who have chucked the praise and worship service and just played a CD (and not because they had to honey). One church I encountered did away with the music altogether during Bible study nights because they couldn't bother with the emotionalism of a "song service." No, they are deep in the Word.
Just like there needs to be a synergy between arts and education to bridge the soul and the mind, so there needs to be an education regarding the relationship between worship that doesn't just fill a slot on the order of service, but softens the soul for encounters with the dividing word of truth. Math is obtuse (ha! I didn't mean that pun...sorry, I surprise myself sometimes). But put Math with a nifty little tune and you're learning your times tables like a rock star. The Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword, but a good praise and worship service can serve as a nice injection to ease the pain of conviction during "the surgery."
I can't seem to come up with a nice way to tie this all together. Especially since I mentioned earlier that this IS a rant after all, one possibly fuelled a little too much by adrenaline and since I start work at 6:45 am possibly by inordinate amounts of caffeine as well. I can't help but feel that I as one who has taught her children how to spell their ridiculous long name with a song, heard them sing choir songs they accidentally learned in the car, and then watched as the Holy Ghost moved upon them during a moving rendition of "Here I Am To Worship" feel the need to defend this great gift of music. I am one who does not want to limit it's perimeters to reach and edify and educate.
So, are you wondering if you what you've stumbled upon? Tripping through the blogosphere you happened, not upon your beloved Notes forum where you normally find rants on all things pious, but rather something about a poor, pitiful public school of which I am employed. Are you lost little girl? No, you are not lost. Yes, this is diatribe but one with a point (hopefully).
Bubble Headed Artsy Farts
Being that my mother does NOT read this blog, I'm saying the word "fart" - outside of the context in which bar soap was involved - and I'm even bolding it! That's how mad I am that I would compromise my vocabulary.
It seems that in academia the whole concept of fusing the arts with basic curriculum is a pipe dream for the bubbled headed artsy fart. What a farce! A dream! "How could you paaaaossibly teach reading or writing or (gulp) math with silly sooooongs!" But multiple studies by entities such as New Horizons for Learning, the NEA, University of Washington stress the importance of arts integration for education. One article by Eric Oddleifson, a founding member of the Center for Arts in the Basic Curriculum (CABC), site a study that included fifty failing elementary schools and documented their improvements with fine arts implementation in a basic curriculum. Results listed incredible results with soaring test scores, grade level and higher reading scores (this from a school with 98% minority rate), and waiting lists in the hundreds.
Our principle was asked to write a report on why she should keep her job. She didn't write it. I wish she would but I respect her stance. The fact that a school two miles from us with an identical minority ratio is earning a D+ rating in the district should be explanation enough.
Alright...I'll Make a Notes-Worthy Application
Have you ever heard this?: "And now we come to the most IMPORTANT part of the service." I've heard of churches recently who have chucked the praise and worship service and just played a CD (and not because they had to honey). One church I encountered did away with the music altogether during Bible study nights because they couldn't bother with the emotionalism of a "song service." No, they are deep in the Word.
Just like there needs to be a synergy between arts and education to bridge the soul and the mind, so there needs to be an education regarding the relationship between worship that doesn't just fill a slot on the order of service, but softens the soul for encounters with the dividing word of truth. Math is obtuse (ha! I didn't mean that pun...sorry, I surprise myself sometimes). But put Math with a nifty little tune and you're learning your times tables like a rock star. The Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword, but a good praise and worship service can serve as a nice injection to ease the pain of conviction during "the surgery."
I can't seem to come up with a nice way to tie this all together. Especially since I mentioned earlier that this IS a rant after all, one possibly fuelled a little too much by adrenaline and since I start work at 6:45 am possibly by inordinate amounts of caffeine as well. I can't help but feel that I as one who has taught her children how to spell their ridiculous long name with a song, heard them sing choir songs they accidentally learned in the car, and then watched as the Holy Ghost moved upon them during a moving rendition of "Here I Am To Worship" feel the need to defend this great gift of music. I am one who does not want to limit it's perimeters to reach and edify and educate.
posted by courtney ballestero at
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
7 Comments:
I appreciated your rant and I'm sorry to hear of your school's loss. Although I wasn't quite sure I understood the import. Is your school going to be negatively impacted outside of the principal leaving? I mean, is it in greater danger of shuttering its doors?
I also wanted to respond briefly to your concern on the relative importance assigned music in our church services. I, for one, would be completely happy to go for a service here or there, or even "a season" without formal music (e.g. just sing a cappella, or possibly only piano, or even no music). In a smaller church, where the musicians are not rotated through, it would be nice to just have service. Replace the usual music with readings from the Word. Or impromptu singing of Psalms. Mix it up.
I appreciated your pointing out the potential confusion created by highlighting "the most important part" of the service. I agree that negatively colors the rest of the service and it certainly should be our view that each and every aspect of our services is important. Can God anoint during the announcements? Why do even have announcements? Anyway. I, too, am suffering some over-caffeination this morning. And if I continue much longer you could classify this a full length post!
Everett
Courtney,
Ah, the old "throw out the baby with the bathwater" trick. I, too, lament the fact that the arts are the first to go in many schools who cut back or reorganize. Sorry to hear of your situation, and glad to hear you're taking a stand. I suppose when the A+ rating lowers THEN they will rethink their strategy - too bad it has to work that way. One interesting fact I read lately is that children who participate in music, particularly playing an instrument (especially piano) have more evenly communicating brain halves than people who don't. Seems that alone would be reason enough to keep the arts at all cost. We're expressive beings, created that way by God. Maybe they've forgotten that.
You know, I've never thought about the "most important part of the service" comment, but I think you have a point. Why is there this continual "war" between the theologians and the musicians? I heard Jerry Jones preach a sermon years ago called "Silent Harps" where he began by talking about how music affects us at the opening of the service. We come in after a long day at work (particularly on mid-week services) and we DON'T feel like clapping, praising, etc. Then the music starts and low and behold! We are tapping our foot. Then our hands raise, then we began to mumble the words and before we know it, we can't help ourselves. We're drawn into the presence of the Lord. Now, don't get me wrong - as Everett said, I think we could change our habits once in a while and just have the rest of the service. But I think we devalue the "worship" service (why do we call it that, anyway?) and how it helps to wash away the residue of the day and of all of life.
Good parallels you draw here. Enjoyed it!
AA
Not to pick, but Ann says, "But I think we devalue the "worship" service (why do we call it that, anyway?) and how it helps to wash away the residue of the day and of all of life."
I've (dare I say) Never felt like the musical portion of Any Ap service was devalued. If anything, I think I could make the case we sing/play too much. What about the people who are ready for more substance (public Bible reading, good testimony, etc) after 2 songs - are they ever even considered? Or do we just pile on more special songs?
Or maybe we sing the same chorus fifty times....
I must address:
Everett: Though many schools are closing in our district, ours is not one to close but one that will be affected by budget cuts. Hopefully our ties to private organizations will cushion us somewhat. I like "mixing it up" but even when we have more informal breakout sessions we personally always have praise and worship. This will always be my beef (cooked rare and finely trimmed...porterhouse prefferrably) if you are bored with P&W than it isn't being done right.
Ann: So true about brain development. Two children i work with have autism and one has asbergers and the difference between when I present a lesson with a song or when i don't is vast.
Kent: Not to pick but (tee hee)I stress synergy, meaning that the music works cohesively with the other aspects of the service. When done correctly even the announcements are profound.
Kent,
I guess I didn't put that very well. I AGREE that we run the worship service in the ground sometimes. Believe me, I mutter under my breath all the time that it's time to move ON!!! Quit trying to make it a pep rally. But I guess what I meant is that musicians can't discount the preaching - we must respect it and lay the groundwork for it to be exalted as it deserves. But at the same time we can't take the worship service for granted because it DOES lat the groudwork.
Is that a little clearer?
AA
Is it a scriptural mandate that music prepare our hearts for the Word, or is that our church culture? Why do they have to vie for "importance" in a church service?
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